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Thursday, August 12, 2010

Tips for Ramadan

I received a text from a sister (jazaahAllahu khayran) with some tips for Ramadaan:

Seek Allah's pleasure and mercyRead Qur'anListen to Qur'anKeep yourself in a state of wuduEvaluate yourself everydaySeek forgiveness and repent / Make taubahIncrease your dhikrGive sadaqahSeek knowledgeMake time for othersIncrease your sunnahs and nawaafilAquire patience and strong willStrive fore ihsan and avoid showing offControl your angerFeed othersMake itikaafDon't eat too much at iftar and suhoorSleep earlyGet up a little early for suhoor and pray tahajjudMake dua for yourself and othersDon't waste time socialising too muchPay zakatul fitr earlySet a goal of memorising some Quran and duaaWatch your tongue

I tweaked them a bit, added the Arabic translation and wrote it on some big sheets of coloured paper, decorated with glitter glue and hung them up, alhamdu lillah:

I didn't nap today and neither did the kids. Which is a bit surprising because we didn't sleep particularly early yesterday either. The boys went to the café after taraweeh prayers, and it seems they've gone there today again... hmmm, not very smart. Me and the girls are staying at home during taraweeh prayers so far, it's a bit too late for us, and our car is really too small to hold us all, anyway. Alhamdu lillah, my time will come later in the month, in shaa Allah.

Today we read the tafseer bit that I decided on yesterday (in Arabic), watched another episode of the stories of the Prophets (as). Iftar preparation got a bit delayed today as we didn't have all ingredients. Hubby also decided to make fish tagine, so food preparation took longer than hoped for. A brought the sahaabah books downstairs (he knew all along where they were! I wonder where he had forgotten his hearing yesterday as we were talking and searching for them all day!) The boys read from them on their own whilst I read my bit of Qur'an.

Hubby made a big, yummy fruit salad for us whilst we were reading and took up his Mushaf when I warmed up the soup and popped the bureks under the grill (we don't deep-fry as we've had problems with fungi because of it!)

So whoever of you sights (the crescent on the first night of) the month (of Ramadan, i.e., is present at his home), he must observe Sawm (fasting) that month, and whoever is ill or on a journey, the same number (of days which one did not observe Sawm (fasting) must be made up) from other days.

يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ بِكُمُ الْيُسْرَ وَلاَ يُرِيدُ بِكُمُ الْعُسْرَ

Allah intends for you ease, and He does not want to make things difficult for you.

(He wants that you) must complete the same number (of days), and that you must magnify Allah (i.e., to say Takbir (Allahu Akbar: Allah is the Most Great)) for having guided you so that you may be grateful to Him.

The Suhuf (Pages) of Ibrahim were revealed during the first night of Ramadan. The Torah was revealed during the sixth night of Ramadan. The Injil was revealed during the thirteenth night of Ramadan. Allah revealed the Qur'an on the twenty-fourth night of Ramadan.

The Virtues of the Qur'an

Allah said:

... هُدًى لِّلنَّاسِ وَبَيِّنَاتٍ مِّنَ الْهُدَى وَالْفُرْقَانِ ...

...a guidance for mankind and clear proofs for the guidance and the criterion (between right and wrong).

Here Allah praised the Qur'an, which He revealed as guidance for the hearts of those who believe in it and adhere to its commands.

Allah said: وَبَيِّنَاتٍ (and clear proofs) meaning, as clear and unambiguous signs and unequivocal proof for those who understand them.

These proofs testify to the truth of the Qur'an, its guidance, the opposite of misguidance, and how it guides to the straight path, the opposite of the wrong path, and the distinction between the truth and falsehood, and the permissible and the prohibited.

The Obligation of Fasting Ramadan

Allah said:

... فَمَن شَهِدَ مِنكُمُ الشَّهْرَ فَلْيَصُمْهُ ...

So whoever of you sights (the crescent on the first night of) the month (of Ramadan, i.e., is present at his home), he must observe Sawm (fasting) that month.

This Ayah requires the healthy persons who witness the beginning of the month, while residing in their land, to fast the month.

This Ayah abrogated the Ayah that allows a choice of fasting or paying the Fidyah. When Allah ordered fasting, He again mentioned the permission for the ill person and the traveler to break the fast and to fast other days instead as compensation.

...and whoever is ill or on a journey, the same number (of days which one did not observe Sawm (fasting) must be made up) from other days.

This Ayah indicates that ill persons who are unable to fast or fear harm by fasting, and the traveler, are all allowed to break the fast. When one does not fast in this case, he is obliged to fast other days instead.

Allah intends for you ease, and He does not want to make things difficult for you.

This Ayah indicates that Allah allowed such persons, out of His mercy and to make matters easy for them, to break the fast when they are ill or traveling, while the fast is still obligatory on the healthy persons who are not traveling.

Several Rulings concerning the Fast

The authentic Sunnah states that;

Allah's Messenger traveled during the month of Ramadan for the battle for Makkah. The Prophet marched until he reached the area of Kadid and then broke his fast and ordered those who were with him to do likewise.

This was recorded in the Two Sahihs.

Breaking the fast mentioned in this Hadith was not required, for the Companions used to go out with Allah's Messenger during the month of Ramadan, then, some of them would fast while some of them would not fast and neither category would criticize the others. If the command mentioned in the Hadith required breaking the fast, the Prophet would have criticized those who fasted. Allah's Messenger himself sometimes fasted while traveling.

For instance, it is reported in the Two Sahihs that Abu Ad-Darda said,

"We once went with Allah's Messenger during Ramadan while the heat was intense. One of us would place his hand on his head because of the intense heat. Only Allah's Messenger and Abdullah bin Rawahah were fasting at that time.''

We should state that observing the permission to break the fast while traveling is better, as Allah's Messenger said about fasting while traveling:

مَنْ أَفْطَرَ فَحَسَنٌ، وَمَنْ صَامَ فَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيْه

Those who did not fast have done good, and there is no harm for those who fasted.

In another Hadith, the Prophet said:

عَلَيْكُمْ بِرُخْصَةِ اللهِ الَّتِي رُخِّصَ لَكُم

Hold to Allah's permission that He has granted you.

Some scholars say that the two actions are the same, as Aishah narrated that;

Hamzah bin Amr Al-Aslami said, "O Messenger of Allah! I fast a lot, should I fast while traveling?''

The Prophet said:

إِنْ شِئْتَ فَصُمْ، وَإِنْ شِئْتَ فَأَفْطِر

Fast if you wish or do not fast if you wish.

This Hadith is in the Two Sahihs.

It was reported that;

if the fast becomes difficult (while traveling), then breaking the fast is better.

Jabir said that;

Allah's Messenger saw a man who was being shaded (by other people while traveling). The Prophet asked about him and he was told that man was fasting.

The Prophet said:

لَيْسَ مِنَ الْبِرِّ الصِّيَامُ فِي السَّفَر

It is not a part of Birr (piety) to fast while traveling.

This was recorded by Al-Bukhari and Muslim.

As for those who ignore the Sunnah and believe in their hearts that breaking the fast while traveling is disliked, they are required to break the fast and are not allowed to fast.

As for making up for missed fasting days, it is not required to be consecutive. One may do so consecutively or not consecutively. There are ample proofs to this fact.

We should mention that fasting consecutive days is only required exclusively during Ramadan. After the month of Ramadan, what is required then is to merely make up for missed days. This is why Allah said: فَعِدَّةٌ مِّنْ أَيَّامٍ أُخَرَ (...the same number (should be made up) from other day).

Allah intends for you ease, and He does not want to make things difficult for you. (He wants that you) must complete the same number (of days),

means: You were allowed to break the fast while ill, while traveling, and so forth, because Allah wanted to make matters easy for you. He only commanded you to make up for missed days so that you complete the days of one month.

Remembering Allah upon performing the Acts of Worship

Allah's statement:

... وَلِتُكَبِّرُواْ اللّهَ عَلَى مَا هَدَاكُمْ ...

...and that you must magnify Allah (i.e., to say Takbir (Allahu Akbar: Allah is the Most Great)) for having guided you,